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Looking to understand more about social media marketing, search engine optimization, blogging, digital public relations, Google and more? We’ve got the inside scoop on Google This, the latest release from Derek Mehraban (our boss!) and Richard T. Cole. The book highlights all you need to know to create a successful digital marketing campaign on all social media platforms. Regardless of your job title, this book supplies the information and needed resources to help you reach your goals in the world of digital media.

Google This gives readers the information they need to navigate and create profitable results on the unclear paths of social media. Topics covered range from creating new content for blogs that already exist, or starting and developing your own to building communities of interest with consumers from other audiences. Google This is written in easy-to-understand language to help master the main social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Google This helps you understand how social media is continuously changing and affecting marketing for your business–proven by the explained Google and Yahoo! search rankings in Google Analytics. Bottom line, Google This is a great resource for anyone looking to expand their efforts in digital marketing with positive and profitable results. We’ve got a copy on our desks for any quick digital marketing questions, get yours now too!

Last week, Google unveiled their brand new algorithm called Hummingbird. Hummingbird’s most distinct feature is the inclusion of a natural language search query.

The shift towards natural language queries shouldn’t come as such a shock to us. We have been moving towards a semantic web since the idea of smart robots and the Star Trek computer (Disney’s SmartHouse, anyone?). Think about it. Siri and Google Glass aren’t that far away from sounding and working like the computer from Star Trek. Minus the pointy ears and bad polyester-spandex-blend catsuits, we’re interacting with our computers more and more like our fellow Trekkies.

To some digital marketers, Hummingbird may not appear to be anymore different than Google’s previous algorithms (Penguin and Panda). But it is. Google hasn’t launched a completely new algorithm since 2001, so you know this is something special.

So what does a “natural language” search query mean?

It means that the algorithm recognizes more human, fluid language. When we use voice-based search, we don’t spit out two or three keywords, instead we are more likely ask our phones a question or say a complete statement, a lot like how we talk to friends. For example, we are more likely to ask a technology like Siri, “What are some restaurants in Ann Arbor?” instead of “restaurants in Ann Arbor.” So, as you can see, the searches become more contextual than keyword based.

So what does this mean for digital marketing?

For one, our SEO team is going to have their work cut out for them. Keyword search could be a thing of the past. Experts in SEO will have to start looking at search engine optimization in a more linguistic approach. For example, they will have to consider linguistic question markers (who, what, where, when, why) and prepositional phrases. Distinguishing whether your audience is looking for a “restaurant near Ann Arbor” or “in Ann Arbor” will differentiate your search results.

Now, I’m not saying you need to trash your current strategy. If your strategy is still focused around your audience’s expectations and creating great content for your audience (if you need a refresher on digital marketing basics, check out the last post), then you’re in good shape. However, for digital marketers looking into future trends, learning more about Hummingbird’s semantic search is a good place to start.

The shift to voice search queries is proof that once again, the web is increasingly becoming more of a human experience than a technological experience. And as one mother brilliantly put it, “We’re all just a bunch of Trekkies, now!” Right on.

After reading an article by Mashable “Does Your Business Need a Full-Time Social Media Team?”, I was once again reminded how complex and time consuming creating a digital marketing strategy can be. After all, there is an entire industry dedicated to the social media marketing of businesses and corporations. And as part of a digital marketing team, I thought it would be a good idea to reiterate the basics of developing a successful digital marketing strategy.

Digital marketing strategies rely on incorporating traditional public relations principles with current social media trends. But to be successful, it’s important to find the right strategy. Specifically, this means researching your audience, choosing the appropriate social media, and creating measurable goals all in an effort to engage and build with your audience.

So when developing a digital marketing strategy for a class project, internship, or at a job, here are some key things to keep in mind:

Know your audience.

It’s simple, the more you know about your target audience, the better your strategy will be. However, knowing your audience means you must do a significant amount of research to fully understand your audience and their expectations.

Identify where your audience goes on the web for information, paying special attention to “pain points.” Pain points are problems or weaknesses apparent in the current marketing strategy. These pain points aren’t currently adequately (or perhaps not even at all) the audience’s needs and expectations. Think like your audience. Pain points can help you identify opportunities that allow you to better connect with the audience. Understanding how your audience currently interacts with the product or company will help you market to them more effectively.

Choose social media platforms based on audience and audience research.

It’s easy to become over zealous when adding social media into your strategy. At first, you might feel pressured to incorporate Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Vine, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and every other social media platforms into your strategy, but take a step back and really look at your research and audience. Ask yourself, “Is my audience active on Twitter?” “Do they really use Instagram?” Questions like these will help you focus on where your audience is actively participating on the web. From there, you can peruse and take notes on the types of content your audience most frequently interacts with.

The key to successfully using social media as part of your strategy is not to stretch your brand. It is always better to be sincerely engaged with your audience on one or two platforms than just to have a presence on seven or eight platforms. Successful social media management requires a fresh supply of relevant content and daily maintenance. Actively participate in your chosen social media outlets and don’t worry about the rest.

Set realistic, measurable goals.

It’s easy to become overly ambitious when setting your marketing strategy goals. It is extremely important to set goals that are attainable and measurable. So, how do you do that?

Firstly, understand that marketing strategies take time. Strategies do not work overnight, and receiving substantial feedback on your strategy often takes weeks and months. Develop an overarching goal to your strategy, but make sure to create smaller goals throughout your timeline in order to track your progress. Smaller, more refined goals will allow you to make adjustments to your strategy along the way.

Secondly, a marketing goal should be measurable. Measuring your strategy means being able to compare metrics according to a set timeframe.

Not an analyst? Don’t worry. There are hundreds of free online analytics tools available on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Facebook even has their own analytics tool, called Facebook Insights, and they’re getting better all the time. Facebook’s Insight tool now helps you benchmark your marketing strategy, see when your audience is online, and better visualize Page Likes growth through new graphs.

Like every company, every strategy is different. At the most basic level, digital marketing strategies strive for research-rich audience data, relevant and appropriate use of social media, and measurable and attainable goals to be successful.

The internship starts September 9, so polish up your resume and head over to the digital marketing internship page, where you can get all the details about each internship track and fill out the internship questionnaire. Then, send your cover letter and resume to jobs@ingenexdigital.com.

Most of us have a bunch of unused gadgets laying around, whether they no longer work or are simply out-of-date. Much of the time, we don’t properly dispose of old phones or other electronic devices every time we upgrade. Maybe it’s the fear of not having a backup, but let’s face it, we’re probably not going to use that old flip phone from 2008 anymore. According to DoSomething.org, between 80-85% of electronic devices were discarded in landfills or incinerators, which can release toxins into the air. Instead of throwing away used electronics, there are several eco-friendly alternatives to consider.

Donate to Nonprofits/Charities

Cross off your good deed for the day and get those unused electronics off your hands. Donating to charities or nonprofits is a great way to know your old gadgets are being put to good use. You can drop off old tvs, computers and other electronics at Donation Centers for stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army. There are tons of good charities to donate those old cell phones to as well. Cell Phones for Soldiers, which provides soldiers a cost-free way to call home from wherever they may be stationed, and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which uses the proceeds from the sale of refurbished phones to support programs to end domestic violence, are just two great organizations to choose from.

Sell or Trade-In

If you want to take the for-profit route, you can always sell or trade-in your old electronic devices. Most electronic companies offer trade-in programs for rebates on newer products or gift cards to the store. For example, Amazon has a trade-in program that offers you Amazon gift cards in exchange for your eligible electronics. Other companies offer cash for your used electronics. Glyde in a marketplace for selling used phones, tablets, games and more, and it compares what you will get on their site with other competitors such as Gazelle, Amazon and Apple. They will even sell the broken phones you no longer have a use for

Repurposing for DIY Projects

Why not give those unused gadgets new life by using them differently than what they were made for. There a lot of cool DIY ideas for repurposing old electronics into useful products for the home. Sites like Pinterest have more ideas than you’ll know what to do with. These ideas from Mashable may be just what you need to get you started with a new project.

Next time you upgrade your electronic devices, take this eco-friendly advice to heart and remember to recycle or repurpose them instead of throwing them away!

Our summer intern program is coming to an end next week. For three months our team of five interns had the opportunity to gain more experience in the field of digital marketing. Today, one of our interns, Jessica Morrow will gave a snap interview about her experience.

Photo by: Chelsea Hensbergen

1) What motivated you to have an internship at Ingenex Digital Marketing?

Derek Mehraban taught my New Media Drivers License class. The class was very interesting and helpful in making the most out of my social media pages. I was excited to learn how to apply what I learned from that class to real-life client situations.

2) What did you learn during your three months internship?

I learned about the importance of blog posts and SEO and how to write them in a way that is appealing to read. The use of links and pictures not only keep the readers’ attentions, but it adds credibility and searchability to your posts.

3) What was your favorite experience?

I liked the fact that people with all different forms of education and majors could come together and work for one company. Some of the employees were self-taught, some have computer science degrees, advertising degrees, journalism degrees, and more. But these different forms of knowledge were able to mold together and make Ingenex successful.

4) Do you think this internship will help you find a full time job?

This internship has helped me gain the writing skills and writing samples that could be appealing to a potential boss during a job interview.

5) Could you give some recommendations for anyone that would like to be an intern at Ingenex in the future?

Be ready to write. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box when writing posts. Most importantly, don’t be shy and talk to the other interns!

If you have any other questions for Jessica or other interns just click here!

Today, I am going to share with you some editing “secrets” that you might not know about on Facebook and Skype. These editing tips not only allows you to fix typos, but also customize the right message you want your users to read.

Facebook Post Editing

If you are adding a link to your status update you have the ability to change the thumbnail image as well as the title and description that appears, once Facebook pulls up the original information.

Once you add the link into the blank status field, you will be able to edit any of the areas pointed by the arrows. The green arrows shows where you can click and see other options of thumbnails images. If you don’t like any of the thumbnails suggestions follow the purple arrow. By clicking on “Upload Image” you will be able to pick an image from your drive.

The yellow arrow is showing the title of the blog in bold letters. Once you click on it you will be write any calling to action message. The red arrow enables you to edit the description of the title. You can change it completely or just make any adjustments.

Once you are done, feel free to remove the URL you pasted and write your status post! These changes are very helpful when you are developing the right copy and when you are trying share the right message. Remember, you do not want to include everything on the status messages because they are suppose to be brief and concise.

Skype Message Editing

Skype users might not know, but you can actually edit the messages you send on a chat. It’s very common for people to make more mistakes writing on a chat window compared to an e-mail because your primary intention is to just keep the conversation going in a faster pace.

If you hover your mouse next to the time, you will see a drop down arrow. Once you click on it a the drop down will allow you to copy, quote, edit, remove and jump back in the history of the conversation you had with the other user.

Once you click “Edit Message” a screen will pop up and you can make the changes right there and then. See image below:

After you click “Save” you are all set! The other user will know however that you edit the message by the indication of the little pencil next to the time.

This handy feature is great especially if you don’t want any misinterpretation in a conversation, and Skype has been used more and more often by digital marketing agencies to communicate with its clients.

Ingenex Digital Marketing has recently welcomed John Wright as their new Web Developer, where he designs, redesigns and maintains websites for Ingenex and their clients. Purely self-taught, Wright has an extensive CSS, HTML, WordPress, and Web Developing background. Wright’s career began when he created interactive MySpace profiles that impressed a wide-spread of MySpace users. When discovering how popular his designs were, Wright learned how to use CSS, HTML, and PHP to create a dynamic website for customers to purchase these profile designs from.

Wright found out about the job opening from his aunt who attended a LA2M Marketing Education event, and he applied shortly after. Impressed with Wright’s profile and learning about his independent web developing background, Ingenex warmly welcomed Wright to the team.

Interested in a career with Ingenex? To find out about current job openings, please visit:

Keeping your e-mail organized is challenge for many people. Recently Gmail has create tabs that allows us to separate the emails in five different categories: Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates and Forums.

The new navigation layout makes your inbox more functional based on the relevance of the content of your incoming message. This is how Gmail divided up its five tabs to make it easier for users to view and organized their emails using categories.

Meet the Five Tabs!

Primary: In this tab you will receive messages from your family and friends, work and other message that would not fit into the categories below.

Social: This categories it is focused on the messages and notifications you might receive from other social platforms and networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Promotions: This tab is designed for you to receive offers, deals and other promotional materials that you have signed up for.

Updates: In this tab you will get notifications such as bank statements and receipts.

Forums: This tab is designed specifically for messages from discussion boards, online groups and mailing lists you have subscribed to. Since categories might not be relevant to every person, Gmail allows users to customize which tabs shows up on their dashboard by clicking on the “+” sign.

Directing E-mails

If you receive an update that might going to your Primary tab, don’t worry! It is possible to move emails from specific senders into the exactly tabs you want. To do this, you should right-click on an email located under the incorrect tab heading. Then you chose the “Move to tab” option, then pick the tab of your preference. A shortcut to this tip is to simply drag and drop the messages you want.

Not ready for the change?

If for some reason you don’t like the layout and design, or you simply just want to use the old format, it is possible to revert back. All you need to do is click again the “+” icon to the right of the tab and uncheck every box (except the “Primary”) and you are done! If you want the tabs again, just click on “Settings” (gear icon) and select “Configure inbox”, it’s that simple!

I still wish we could rename or create our own tabs, but I can’t deny that this new layout will make people’s lives much easier. So check out your current gmail account or create a gmail www.gmail.com. I hope you find these tips helpful and now you can make your e-mail a lot more organized and tailored to your needs.

Yesterday, Ingenex Digital Marketing celebrated seven years of successful hard work by throwing a birthday bash. This special moment couldn’t have been celebrated in without the family and friends that are so supportive and motivational for us to continue to do our job.

The band Corndaddy brought the great sound of country rock to the party. Inspired by Willie Nelson, Buck Owens, the Byrds and other classic groups, the refreshing music chilled out our guests from the hot weather.

The parents brought their babies and children making the event very family oriented. Parents didn’t have to worry about their children as they took over the conference room and watched Disney movies and ate delicious food from Katherine’s Catering services. With great drinks we were able to toast with the Ingenex family in the new office.

This celebration is shows that entrepreneurship and dedication goes a long way with the dedication of a team that roll up the sleeves every single day to meet the needs of their clients. With this spirit and mentality, I am certain we’ll see many more celebrations in the future!